Years ago, doctors often said that pain was a normal part of life. In particular, when older patients complained of pain, they were told it was a
11
part of aging and they would have to learn to live with it.
Times have changed. Today, we take pain
12
. Indeed, pain is now considered the fifth
13
as important as blood pressure, temperature, breathing rate and pulse in
14
a person"s well-being. We know that
chronic
(慢性的) pain can
disrupt
(扰乱的) a person"s life, causing problems that
15
from missed work to depression. That"s why a growing number of hospitals now depend upon physicians who
16
in pain medicine. Not only do we evaluate the cause of the pain, which can help us treat the pain better, but we also help provide comprehensive therapy for depression and other psychological and social
17
related to chronic pain. Such comprehensive therapy often
18
the work of social workers,
psychiatrists
(心理阅读) and psychologists, as well as specialists in pain medicine. This modern prompting for pain management has led to a wealth of innovative treatments which are more effective and with fewer side effects than ever before.
Decades ago, there were only a
19
number of drugs available, and many of them caused significantside
20
in older people, including dizziness and fatigue. This created a double-edged sword: the medications helped relieve the pain but caused other problems that could be worse than the pain itself.
A. result I. determining
B. involves J. limited
C. effects K. gravely
D. range L. natural
E. relieved M. aspect
F. issues N. vital
G. seriously O. specialize
H. elemental